Systems and methods for monitoring and controlling an energy plant

Abstract

An energy plant includes a plurality of subplants, a high level optimizer, a low level optimizer, and a controller. The plurality of subplants include a cogeneration subplant configured to generate steam and electricity and a chiller subplant electrically coupled to the cogeneration subplant and configured to consume the electricity generated by the cogeneration subplant. The high level optimizer is configured to determine recommended subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants. The recommended subplant loads include a rate of steam production and a rate of electricity production of the cogeneration subplant and a rate of electricity consumption of the chiller subplant. The low level optimizer is configured to determine recommended equipment setpoints for equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the recommended subplant loads. The controller is configured to operate the equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the recommended equipment setpoints.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An energy plant comprising:
 a plurality of subplants configured to serve energy loads of a campus, the plurality of subplants comprising:
 a cogeneration subplant configured to generate steam and electricity; and 
 a chiller subplant electrically coupled to the cogeneration subplant and configured to consume the electricity generated by the cogeneration subplant; 
 
 a user interface configured to receive user requests to selectively activate or deactivate devices of equipment of the plurality of subplants; 
 a high level optimizer configured to determine recommended subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants in accordance with the user requests to selectively activate or deactivate the devices of equipment of the plurality of subplants, the recommended subplant loads comprising a rate of steam production and a rate of electricity production of the cogeneration subplant and a rate of electricity consumption of the chiller subplant; 
 a low level optimizer configured to determine recommended equipment setpoints for equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the recommended subplant loads; and 
 a controller configured to operate the equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the recommended equipment setpoints. 
 
     
     
       2. The energy plant of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the chiller subplant is fluidly coupled to the cogeneration subplant and configured to chill the steam generated by the cogeneration subplant; and 
 the recommended subplant loads comprise a rate of steam consumption and a rate of chilled steam production of the chiller subplant. 
 
     
     
       3. The energy plant of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to receive manual subplant loads specified by a user;
 wherein the low level optimizer is further configured to determine the recommended equipment setpoints for the equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the manual subplant loads in response to receiving the manual subplant loads. 
 
     
     
       4. The energy plant of  claim 3 , further comprising a dispatch graphical user interface (GUI) generator configured to generate a dispatch GUI and present the dispatch GUI via the user interface, the dispatch GUI comprising the recommended subplant loads and the manual subplant loads. 
     
     
       5. The energy plant of  claim 4 , wherein the dispatch GUI comprises an operating mode selector configured to display a plurality of operating modes and to receive a user selection of one of the operating modes;
 the plurality of operating modes comprising an automatic operating mode, an advisory operating mode, and a manual operating mode. 
 
     
     
       6. The energy plant of  claim 3 , wherein the low level optimizer is configured to operate in:
 an automatic operating mode in which the low level optimizer determines a first set of recommended equipment setpoints to achieve the recommended subplant loads; and 
 a manual operating mode in which the low level optimizer determines a second set of recommended equipment setpoints to achieve the manual subplant loads. 
 
     
     
       7. The energy plant of  claim 3 , wherein the high level optimizer is configured to determine an amount of overproduction or underproduction resulting from the manual subplant loads by comparing the manual subplant loads to a campus energy load. 
     
     
       8. The energy plant of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the plurality of subplants comprise an energy storage subplant; and 
 the user interface comprises an indication of an amount of time until the energy storage subplant is (1) fully depleted based on the amount of underproduction or (2) filled to capacity based on the amount of overproduction. 
 
     
     
       9. The energy plant of  claim 1 , further comprising a subplant monitor configured to monitor the energy plant and identify actual subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants. 
     
     
       10. The energy plant of  claim 9 , further comprising a dispatch graphical user interface (GUI) generator configured to generate a dispatch GUI comprising the recommended subplant loads and the actual subplant loads. 
     
     
       11. A method for monitoring and controlling an energy plant comprising a plurality of subplants that operate to serve energy loads of a campus, the method comprising:
 operating a cogeneration subplant of the plurality of subplants to generate steam and electricity; and 
 operating a chiller subplant of the plurality of subplants to consume the electricity generated by the cogeneration subplant; 
 receiving, via a user interface, user requests to selectively activate or deactivate devices of equipment of the plurality of subplants; 
 determining recommended subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants based in part on the user requests to selectively activate or deactivate the devices of equipment of the plurality of subplants, the recommended subplant loads comprising a rate of steam production and a rate of electricity production of the cogeneration subplant and a rate of electricity consumption of the chiller subplant; 
 determining recommended equipment setpoints for equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the recommended subplant loads; and 
 operating the equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the recommended equipment setpoints. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising operating the chiller subplant to chill the steam generated by the cogeneration subplant;
 wherein the recommended subplant loads comprise a rate of steam consumption and a rate of chilled steam production of the chiller subplant. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving manual subplant loads specified by a user via the user interface; and 
 determining the recommended equipment setpoints for the equipment of the plurality of subplants based on the manual subplant loads in response to receiving the manual subplant loads. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising generating a dispatch GUI and presenting the dispatch GUI via the user interface, the dispatch GUI comprising the recommended subplant loads and the manual subplant loads. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving a user selection of one of a plurality of operating modes via an operating mode selector of the dispatch GUI, the plurality of operating modes comprising an automatic operating mode, an advisory operating mode, and a manual operating mode. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 operating in an automatic operating mode to determine a first set of recommended equipment setpoints to achieve the recommended subplant loads; and 
 operating in a manual operating mode to determine a second set of recommended equipment setpoints to achieve the manual subplant loads. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising determining an amount of overproduction or underproduction resulting from the manual subplant loads by comparing the manual subplant loads to a campus energy load. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the plurality of subplants comprise an energy storage subplant; and 
 the user interface comprises an indication of an amount of time until the energy storage subplant is (1) fully depleted based on the amount of underproduction or (2) filled to capacity based on the amount of overproduction. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising monitoring the energy plant to identify actual subplant loads for each of the plurality of subplants. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , further comprising generating a dispatch GUI comprising the recommended subplant loads and the actual subplant loads.